Gruesome history of site where Mark Zuckerberg and his wife have bought 200-year-old GOTHIC castle

By WILKO MARTÍNEZ-CACHERO, US REPORTER and PERKIN AMALARAJ, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 06:20, 21 August 2026 | Updated: 06:20, 21 August 2026 The 18th century Gothic castle bought by tech billionaire Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan has a little-known macabre history. It was confirmed Thursday that Zuckerberg had acquired the three-story Strancally Castle in Ireland in an off-market deal. A spokesman for the Meta founder and CEO said Zuckerberg was 'excited' about the historic property. However, the cut-stone Gothic Revival house in County Waterford, roughly 93 miles southwest of Dublin, comes with a 'gruesome history,' according to the Irish Times. English author William Howitt wrote in Homes and Haunts of the Most Eminent British Poets, first released in 1847, that the original Strancally Castle site was known for hosting a 'murderous device.' That site, about two miles from the present castle purchased by Zuckerberg, was described as a place where people were lured in and then killed. 'The unwary, when decoyed within the castle, were tied hand and foot, and hung down the murder-hole,' Howitt wrote. 'The rapid river hurried by, and soon carried away their gasping shrieks, and the dead told no tales.' Howitt wrote that this was what the 'neighboring peasants will tell you' before adding, 'notwithstanding, we place no faith in the present horrible legend.' The original site of the Strancally Castle, about three miles from the castle purchased by Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, was once known as a 'murder-hole' English author William Howitt wrote in 1847 that the Irish castle had a reputation for being used as a 'murderous device' Zuckerberg and Chan were 'excited to continue caring for this historic home,' a spokesperson for the tech billionaire said The current iteration of Strancally Castle was designed by James and George Richard Pain and built around 1830 for MP John Keily. The Keily family sold the castle to an Anglo-Irish family, the Whitelocke-Lloyds, around 1855. Later, the castle and its 5,000-acre estate were acquired by the Irish Land Commission in the mid-20th century. It is not known how much Zuckerberg paid for the castle, which he bought from the Alen-Buckley family in recent weeks. Michael Alen-Buckley is a co-founder of London-based private investment firm RAB Capital. Strancally Castle has been extensively renovated over the past 20 years by its previous owners. The billionaire's spokesperson said that Zuckerberg and his family were 'excited to continue caring for this historic home and look forward to spending time in Ireland, where Meta maintains its international headquarters.'  Strancally Castle's current iteration was built around 1830 for MP John Keily. It was designed by James and George Richard Pain Zuckerberg bought the castle from the Alen-Buckley family in recent weeks in an off-market deal, but it is not known how much he paid Meta employs about 1,500 people in Ireland, and Dublin is home to its international headquarters. Its Irish operations also include a virtual and augmented reality business in Cork and a data centre outside Dublin. Zuckerberg and his family will continue to live in the United States and use the Irish property when conducting Meta business in Ireland.